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Reviews
The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P.T. Barnum by Candace Fleming
breakfastgrey's review
5.0
I thought I knew precisely two things about PT Barnum going into this book: 1. Circus. 2. Bad person. Turns out I was somewhat misguided in both of those things and the real person is far more nuanced than both the pro and anti-circus crowds make him out to be. Also, most of his life was dedicated to a museum, not the circus. To be perfectly frank, I’ve never really thought about the circus one way or the other, hence why I knew so little about the subject of this book. I do know that I love Candace Fleming, though. Also, the book’s cover. Also, the absurd long title. And so I happily dove in to what is one of the strangest, most engaging books I’ll likely read this year. Every page has at least one nugget begging to be read aloud. His life is just so utterly bizarre that you cannot help be fascinated by Barnum even as you suspect that, deep down, you probably wouldn’t be able to stand him in real life.
johnnymacaroni's review
4.0
I loved this book. I loved learning not just about Barnum but also that time in history.
elinacre's review
4.0
fun biography of a fun guy who seems pretty cool (except his at least occasional crap treatment of his poor wife). loved the graphic design! still surprised at how much of "the greatest showman" film was fiction.
lorathelibrarian's review
A very informative and interesting read on P.T. Barnum. I learned a lot about him that I didn't know before (he didn't start in the circus business until he was in his 60s!).
I think this is a great nonfiction read for kids with tons of interesting pictures and facts. It definitely has a great cover and I can see it attracting a lot of attention from regular fiction readers because it reads very much like a narrative.
I think this is a great nonfiction read for kids with tons of interesting pictures and facts. It definitely has a great cover and I can see it attracting a lot of attention from regular fiction readers because it reads very much like a narrative.
froydis's review
4.0
Really good book! Candace Fleming is a fantastic historian and writer for kids, and she does a masterful job in relating the story of Barnum's life for her audience. I liked that she doesn't shy away from the controversial aspects of his life, and that she presents a nuance, balanced picture of a complicated man of his times. This is a great book to read, particularly if you've enjoyed the recent film "The Greatest Showman," which is less than historically accurate. It would be a fun classroom discussion to compare the two, and open up conversation on the more controversial aspects of Barnum's life.
nerfherder86's review
4.0
Step right up, ladies and gentlemen! Read this book about the greatest showman the country has ever seen! Reading this biography is like going to the circus, with lots to look at and ponder and always something interesting going on. Plenty of photos and illustrations, and sidebars with unusual facts, and a strong narrative that pulls you along wondering what P.T. will get up to next.
heykellyjensen's review
4.0
Really interesting look into the life of the showman PT Barnum. Knowing nothing of him, I was engrossed with him and his antics (because they were!). I loved the photos and wished there were more of them (or more memorabilia). I liked the sidebars but got a bit overwhelmed with them when the text didn't end on that page and I had to flip pages. My one real criticism is that there's almost too much showmanship in the art of the book -- the use of various fonts, the elaborate designs on the chapter dividers, etc. It got a little distracting from the work itself.